LANSING, MI -- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, the state's top law enforcement officer, is opposed to proposed legislation that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

"We should not go down this road of legalizing drugs," Schuette told Lansing television station WILX this week. "It exposes young kids, children, to ever more potent drugs use, and I think that's not good for the in the future."

Joy Yearout, a spokesperson for the attorney general's office, confirmed that Schuette is concerned the legislation would increase the availability of drugs that could "negatively impact Michigan's children."

House Bill 4623, introduced Wednesday by Democratic state Rep. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor, would not legalize marijuana use in Michigan, but it would reduce the penalties for those caught with one ounce or less of the drug.

Instead of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, small-time possession would result in a civil infraction punishable by a fine of up to $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second offense and $100 for subsequent offenses.

Four Democrats and two Republicans joined Irwin as co-sponsors. Rep. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said it is "the right time to have this debate in Michigan" but explained that he would like to see additional penalties for minors added to the bill before he could vote for it.

"The data is clear," Shirkey said. "We're spending a lot of money, a lot of energy and a lot of resources in Michigan and across the nation to try to accomplish something that, frankly, we've failed at."

Bipartisan backing does not guarantee a debate, let alone a public hearing on the bill, which has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Spokesperson Ari Adler said the House Speaker Jase Bolger will not "close the door" on the discussion but indicated that lawmakers have more immediate priorities.

Irwin, who argued that the effort to criminalize marijuana possession is costly but ineffective, said Wednesday that he expected opposition from Schuette and other law enforcement officials while suggesting that front-line officers might have a different opinion.

"It's just impossible for these law enforcement officials who are in the leadership of these organizations to admit that what they've been working on for so many years just hasn't been working," he said. "It's plain as the nose on my face to any citizen in Michigan that marijuana prohibition isn't working."

Voters in several Michigan cities have approved decriminalization of marijuana. Seventeen states have some form of decriminalization policy, including Washington and Colorado, where voters have gone a step further by approving full legalization. The drug remains illegal under federal law, however, and the Obama administration has not given a clear indication of how it will respond to policies in those two states.

A recent bill co-sponsored by Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, titled the "Respect State Marijuana Laws Act of 2013," would ensure that the federal government does not prosecute residents acting in accordance with state laws.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Google+ or follow him on Twitter.